Most students probably know the fear of having to come up with an answer on the spot, but few face the difficulty of having to come up with an entire performance on the spot.
Members of Kennesaw State’s “Kennesaw Improv Society, Stupid!” do exactly that, and they help teach KSU students the ins-and-outs of improv performances.
KISS President Alyssa Egelhoff said that the idea behind the title was to showcase the simplicity and lighthearted humor involved in improv.
“Just keep it simple, stupid,” Egelhoff said.
KISS regularly hosts events called All Skates, with the next one coming up on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 8 p.m. All of the All Skates gatherings for this semester will be held in room 138 of the Joe Mack Wilson Student Center on the Kennesaw campus.
Despite what the title may suggest, All Skates are not about skating, rather they serve as a platform for experienced improv comedians and performers to teach interested students how to succeed in improv.
Egelhoff explained that the name of the event is a homage to classic nights at the skate park where everyone was welcome to come. KISS chose to name their event All Skates to demonstrate that the event is open to everyone and is about collective fun.
While KISS has 11 members in the official ensemble, All Skate events normally bring in around 20 to 40 people, with several of them being regulars, according to Egelhoff.
All Skates events are normally held every other Tuesday. Attendees watch from the audience as their peers are guided through improv scenes by the KISS ensemble on stage. Egelhoff explained that it’s important for all the audience members to have a chance to get on stage, and said she personally encourages those who come reluctantly to get involved.
“A lot of people get dragged there with friends,” Egelhoff said. “They end up having a good time.”
She also encourages students in improv to not get discouraged.
“Everyone who has done improv has done bad improv,” Egelhoff said.
When members of the KISS ensemble see students struggling on stage, they step in to help performers create ideas that will engage the audience. Egelhoff also pointed out that not every character on stage has to be funny, and that mistakes can be turned into aspects of a character.
Improv has also improved Egelhoff’s abilities as an actor because it has taught her how to improvise and go off script, which she said is an integral part of acting.
Egelhoff believes improv is important because it teaches students how to think on their feet, a skill especially useful in job interviews. Improv also allows students to forget about schoolwork and stress and it introduces people to new friends and events that might otherwise be outside students’ comfort zone.
For more information visit KISS on Instagram @Ksu_kisstagram or on Facebook at Kennesaw Improv Society, Stupid!.
